Ten Years Later
by mynameisnotjohnny
Summary: Maybe it was destiny, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but they meet up again after ten years. How will they deal with the heart ache left behind? Faberry.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello, everyone.**

 **I posted this story a while ago but, unfortunately, I was in an accident and it took me a while to recover completely. Because of that, this story was, unfortunately, on a HIATUS for a long time. I decided to delete the old one and start over. I have edited the first few chapters and will be posting them every week. I have almost two months ahead of me and, because of that, I'll hopefully be able to finish this one this time.**

 **For the ones who read it before, hope you still enjoy it. For the ones reading it for the first time, hope you enjoy it as well.**

 **All critics are welcomed and will be taken to heart.**

 **And, as most of you should know, I do not own Glee.**

 **Chapter 1: Lucy Quinn**

Quinn was happy. She truly was. She has been happy for years now. Ever since her thoughts not consisted of only _her_ , every since she graduated from Yale at the top of her class, ever since she moved to Chicago. Quinn was truly happy. She lived in this cozy apartment with her girlfriend – who she had been dating for the past three years. She had a job she really liked. She lived close to her family – which consisted of her sister, Francine, her brother in law, Matt, and her nephew, Jamie.

Much like herself, Frannie had been disowned by her parents. She had also said goodbye to the predictable life she was supposed to have – getting married to a Christian man, becoming a housewife, and having two kids. Quinn was on her doorstep the moment her sister announced she was marrying an atheist black man that worked as a real estate agent, and that she wouldn't be quitting her job to do so, congratulating her for growing a back bone. She was truly happy for her sister. And her sister was truly happy when Quinn came out to her.

That had been six years ago, right after Quinn graduated from college. The blonde didn't think twice about moving to Chicago and starting her life there. It was a bit difficult at the beginning but she managed to get a paying job for her photography after a few months and life only went up from that point on.

Quinn met Jennifer during one of her freelance gigs. They hit it off right away. She fell in love. Deeply in love. Rachel Berry became a distant memory to her a few months into their relationship. After all, Jennifer was everything she could ever want on a girl. She was beautiful, smart, sweet, funny. It gave Quinn a whole new meaning to life. They spent three years happy. Three years in love. But when that damned letter came, they both knew it was the end for them. Quinn had been asked by the 'Rolling Stone' magazine to work for them as their full-time photographer and column writer. It was a dream come true. But with that dream, came the break up. They both agreed it was for the best. Jennifer knew that if Quinn said no to that proposition, she would regret it. And she also knew that if they tried a long distance relationship, their care for each other would grow into resentment. So they both agreed it was for the best if they broke up.

That was three months ago. A week before Quinn moved to New York City.

Those months were a bit lonely, of course. Quinn was re-adapting to a new city with no friends or family around. She had left six years of her life behind to pursue her dream. But she was still happy. The job was amazing. She got to meet all these amazing bands and she got to go around the city discovering new ones. It was truly amazing. Quinn loved every single moment of it.

Every single day she would wake up with a smile on her face, get her camera and go out into this concrete jungle filled with incredible things. The people, the atmosphere, the shops, the buildings, it was all so different. Even the coffee tasted different there. She was in love with New York City; there was no denying it. From the glamorous Broadway plays to the awfully rude cab drivers, it had entered her heart with full force.

Quinn still talked to her sister on a daily basis. She even still talked to Jennifer, sending her a few pictures of things she knew the brunette would love, every now and then. And she Skyped with her dear nephew every night before he went to sleep. It was a routine already. The only one she had, actually. Her new job gave her freedom, writing articles from home when she felt like it and going out at nights to photograph bands – something that, in her view, didn't feel like work at all. She was having the time of her life.

In this particular September morning, though, everything changed.

With no duties for the day, Quinn decided to go explore the city once again, take some new pictures and maybe fill her wall mural just a tiny bit more. She woke up rather early, took a short shower before getting dressed in black skinny pants and a button up jean shirt, finishing her outfit with her pair of comfortable black toms. Her short messy hair was done just the way she liked the most and her favorite pair of sunglasses was already on her face.

Quinn left her apartment with no goals or worries. She was simply carrying her favorite camera around her neck and a Polaroid one on her bag, trying to find something that inspired her. She pretty much knew everything near her apartment, though, so without thinking twice, Quinn got to the nearest Subway entrance and decided to let herself go somewhere new.

At first, she didn't notice her. Quinn was too busy trying to shield her very expensive and very dear camera from the crowd of people. But when she finally managed to settled herself straight, holding onto the metal pole, she saw her.

Quinn couldn't believe her eyes at first. But after the second, third and forth look, she knew that it was Rachel Berry sitting there, reading a book without a care of what was happening around her.

She looked different, the blonde had to admit. Rachel had definitely aged well. She looked even more beautiful. She looked matured. She looked like a woman. Especially since she was wearing a skirt suit. The photographer was surprised by that. But not in a bad way. After all, the skirt was short enough to show a very good amount of skin the way her legs were crossed. God, the legs. How could Quinn forget about the legs? Those legs had haunted her dreams – and her reality – for years. In that moment, she was incredibly grateful for still be wearing her sunglasses. Otherwise she knew she would be looking like a creepy pervert.

All the thoughts about enjoying her day by photographing the city went away quickly, being replaced by thoughts of her enjoying her day by doing Rachel fucking Berry. Maybe she was a creepy pervert. She hadn't seen the girl – now woman – in ten years. Yet, here she was, trying to fight her rapid beating heart and dry lips.

Quinn didn't know how long she stood there staring at Rachel but it had been at least five stops. Five stops of endless thoughts of plumbed lips and smooth skin. Of firm thighs and perky breasts. By the sixth stop, though, her brain decided that thinking about those things wouldn't do any good if Quinn simply let Rachel get out of the subway without knowing how to find her again. And maybe it was destiny, or maybe she was just thinking too much of her, but those brown eyes looked up from her book when it was time for her to leave and met her covered ones. For a moment, everything stopped moving. For a moment, everyone around them disappeared and all there existed was them.

~End of Chapter 1~


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:** Rachel B. Berry

 **A big thank you for everyone that followed/favorited/commented on this story.**

 **Now, let's move on with it! Hope you enjoy it.**

Just like any other morning, Rachel woke up at six thirty. Everything was done in the same order, in the same way, every single day of her life. It had started five years ago – a year after she graduated with praises at NYADA. The people she still had in her life often wondered why that happened, no one really knew, though. Not her fathers. Not her best friend and roommate, Emma. Not her former glee club teammates. And especially not _her_. All they knew was that Broadway had been shoved out of her mind, along with some other things that she would rather not mention.

Besides her obvious change in demeanor, Rachel Berry had changed a lot in appearance as well. She looked more mature and much more worn out by life. There were always circles under her eyes, she had lost weight – making her look even more petite and fragile, but what had changed the most was the glint. It wasn't there anymore. The one that lived in her brown orbs. The one that showed how confident, happy and excited she truly was. That glint diminished itself through the years. Ever since that fateful day on that summer after Senior Year till it disappeared a year after she finished university.

Some might say that it was a bit sad, yes. But Rachel didn't think it was. She actually was content with her life. Sure, the teaching job wasn't all that challenging. And yes, it had been years since she had actually tried to have a relationship with anyone – mostly because she was practically ruined for everyone else, no one would ever compare to Lucy Quinn Fabray. But still, it could be a lot worse. And that's what kept her going, what got her to wake up at the same hour and go on with the boring routine it had established itself in her life. There was nothing wrong with having a routine, after all. Nothing wrong with losing the excitement of living. She wasn't happy, but she was content enough with her life to settle for what she had.

Friday nights were sacred to Rachel. It was the time for her to sit alone on her living room and drink her precious wine while watching yet another musical. Some would think that it was very masochist of her to do so – Rachel's roommate loving saying that, but the brunette usually ignored till she went away, just like she did with the boredom of her life – but this simply wouldn't leave her life. For her, it was better to keep quiet and let someone speak their mind than fighting for it. Yes, Rachel B. Berry had definitely changed.

Saturdays were reserved for preparation of classes on her kitchen table while sipping whatever drink she had on her fridge while Emma slept away the hangover from whatever she did the night before. It was a good compromise. Rachel wouldn't make any noise to not disturb the woman while also not being bugged about going out with her on her sacred Fridays. Sunday was the 'spontaneous' day for the brunette woman. If you could call it that. But it was the only day of the week that she allowed herself to do something crazy – for her standards, at least. Emma would also tease her that the wildest thing she had ever done in life was eat breakfast after one in the afternoon. If only she knew about her teenage years – well, _year_. Quinn had made her Senior Year very interesting but that was something she didn't like to think about, the pang of her heart when she did was simply unbearable.

The rest of the week didn't have any special thing to it. She would wake up, go to work, come home, work out, shower and sleep. It was safe to say that the only thing that truly changed for Rachel on a day-to-day basis was the clothes and food. Besides that, it was all the same thing over and over again. And that's why, just like any other morning, Rachel woke up at six thirty to catch the subway to work after getting ready. Just like any other morning, Rachel walked around without really paying attention to anything around her – nothing would catch her eye anymore. Nothing interested her enough so she simply stopped looking. The subway was basically empty the time she entered it – one of the perks of living in Brooklyn – which let her sit down and read for the almost one hour ride to the school. That was one of the two things she had actually kept from the relationship she so hard tried to forget – reading. Quinn had showed her the wonders of a good book, the marvelous feeling of losing yourself in an incredible story. The other thing had been a beautiful ring that was always – _always_ – on a chain around her neck. She never managed to let go completely of her.

Rachel wasn't looking at anyone. Eyes scanning through word after word of her book. That's why she didn't notice the blonde woman entering the train nor did she notice being watched by her. She was oblivious to it all happening around her. That is, until she had to stand to move out of the subway. The brunette was putting the book back on her purse when she saw the slender figure facing her.

Rachel was pretty sure her heart stopped beating for a moment. She looked as beautiful as she did when she last saw her. For a moment, her mind wished that Quinn wasn't wearing sunglasses just so she could look into those big hazel eyes she had grown to love so much. But Rachel got her thoughts back in place, and her feet starting moving on its own out of the wagon. She wasn't going to look back. She couldn't. It would destroy her all over again. But it seemed like her heart spoke louder than her brain. Rachel stopped walking and took a deep breath before turning around, hoping to catch another glimpse of the blonde but the train was already moving. _'No. No! Come back. Please, come back. Just for a moment. I just need to see her face again. Just once more.'_ She thought as she watched the subway move away fast from her. But it was useless. She was gone.

"And here I thought you were going to ignore me completely." Came a voice from beside her. A voice she knew so well. A voice that was impossible to forget.

"Quinn." Rachel whispered, surprised. She was now looking directly into the blonde's eyes. Brown meeting hazel with such intensity that it made her breathing get irregular.

"Hey, Rachel. It's been a while." There was a sweet smile playing on Quinn's lips that Rachel couldn't begin to understand why it was there. Shouldn't she hate her? Shouldn't she want to hit her nose? Shouldn't she want to yell? Or swear? Or simply ignore her? But here she was, the girl of her dreams, looking so different yet so similar at the same time, and being nice. "Uh… are you okay? You look a little pale."

"What? Right! Yes, of course." Her eyes of acting were greatly appreciated at the moment. The last thing she needed was to look pathetic in front of Quinn Fabray. "I'm just a bit tired. I still wake up very early in the morning – granted that my work out routine is only after work – but it's still tiring waking up at six in the morning every day. Especially since I'm not seventeen anymore. I'm sure you can understand."

Rachel was stunned at herself for giving such a ramble. It had been a while since she had done that. The brunette had grown into a quiet, calm and more collected woman. She rather liked her new personality. It wasn't so tiring. The amused smile on Quinn's face, though, made it all worth it.

"Right. Yes. That's… understandable." Quinn replied to her and scratched the back of her neck. It was a nervous habit, Rachel knew. And it was safe to say that the brunette still found it very endearing. "So… you're going to work…?"

"I don't know if that was a question or a statement but yes. I'm on my way there right now. And I can't be late. I'm giving a surprise quiz of first period. It would be rather unfair of me to give that class less time than the other to complete it. That means I must get going. It was nice seeing you again, Quinn." Her name rolled easily out of Rachel's lips despite the fact that the brunette had avoided saying it for years. Too many years. She gave a awkward wave to the blonde before turning on her heel, anticipating the moment she would be out of view enough to let herself feel. She couldn't do that in front of Quinn. She couldn't look pathetic, no matter how much she was. Not with the blonde looking so beautiful and gracious.

"Wait!" Rachel sighed heavily when she heard Quinn rushing after her till she caught up. That was going incredibly hard already and she didn't need the blonde being her sweet lovely self making it a bigger struggle. "I'll walk you to your work. I don't have anything to do this morning so… yeah. I could walk you… if you want."

Rachel was torn. She truly was. A part of her wanted to eagerly say yes and take Quinn's so they could walk. But the other part wanted to yell a big no at her face. Well, not yell because that would be mean. And she already had done that enough to the blonde. But still, she wanted to say no just so she could catch her breath again and sigh in relief. The eager look on Quinn's face, though, made it impossible for that part to reply, making Rachel simply not her head once and start walking once again with Quinn by her step. It was going to be a long morning.

~End of Chapter 2~


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone.**

 **I'm a day late on this one but I'm posting it now, yeah?** **I hope you enjoy and please, let me know what you think.**

 **Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

Quinn didn't know what she was doing there. She truly didn't. It had been a… well, an okay day so far. After having dropped Rachel out at the school she worked as a music teacher – something the blonde was very surprised to learn – she went on with her day, going back to the goal of discovering new things around the city she had fallen so deeply in love with. The task was easier said than done, though. Even after all these years, Rachel still had the same effect on her, making her find everything bland and ordinary – after all, nothing could compare to the woman. Maybe that's why Quinn found herself now standing near the entrance of Rachel's work place, smoking a cigarette to calm herself down a bit while waiting for the brunette to come out.

In the back of her mind, she knew it was a stupid idea. She knew she was going to get screwed over again. But she couldn't help herself. Her heart now spoke louder than her mind. She had learned that with Jennifer. God, she missed that woman. She had learned so much from her. She had learned how to become a better person, sweeter. Maybe if she hadn't appeared in her life, Quinn wouldn't actually be standing there, waiting for Rachel Barbra Berry. Especially since she was very quick to dismiss her that morning.

 **Flashback to that morning:**

 _They were walking in a awkward silence from the subway station to Rachel's school. But Quinn didn't mind. She actually liked the quiet moments between them – even the ones that weren't comfortable._

 _The blonde was happily taking photos of everything she thought it was beautiful – with the exception of Rachel, of course. She would never do that and risk getting her camera smashed by those stiletto heels. It was too expensive and precious to have such an ending. And Quinn was sure Rachel would find that dramatic enough to do it._

" _What are you doing?" The silence was broken by the brunette after they walked a few blocks, rolling her eyes when Quinn answered that she was taking photos. "I can see that. But why? Are you… a tourist or something? This neighborhood is nothing special, you know? I can give you the name of a few places that are actually worth taking pictures off."_

" _Well, are you going to come with me?" Quinn asked with the slightest flirtatious tone before scolding herself mentally. She couldn't be doing that. She couldn't go down on that road again. Rachel was dangerous. She once held the power to destroy her – and used it. Quinn shouldn't be giving her it to her again. Not even the slightest. She was proven right about Rachel's power when she was rejected with a soft 'no'. "Right, well… answering your question, no. I'm actually a photographer. And I live here now. So taking photos is something I actually like to do."_

 _Quinn didn't miss Rachel's furrowed brow at her answer. She couldn't understand her confusion over it all. The last time they had last spoken, Quinn was going to study drama. "I didn't know you liked photography so much. But good for you for finding your… calling." The blonde couldn't help but notice the sad tone of Rachel's voice as well. The woman was still very easy to read, it seemed._

 _She resisted the urge to make a snide remark to Rachel about how she couldn't have known since she made sure they wouldn't have any contact whatsoever. "Yes. I kinda fell in love with it during college. What about you? Was teaching your real dream?" She didn't mean any harm with the question. She truly didn't. Quinn wasn't that person anymore. But apparently Rachel didn't took it like that with the glare she sent her way. At least of one thing she knew, both of them had changed a lot during those ten years because last time she saw the petite woman, she couldn't glare even if her life depended on it. "Wow, sorry I asked. I was just making some conversation, Rachel."_

" _Yes, but why? Why are you walking with me? Why are you here?" Rachel's tone was anything but welcoming, taking Quinn by surprise. "You know what? It doesn't matter. This is me. I have to go now. It was nice seeing you again." It was clear by the way she said it that she didn't mean her words._

 **End of Flashback.**

Her thoughts were cut short when she saw several students started rushing out of the school. Some things never did change. Quinn took another drag out of her cigarette before flicking it off of her hand when she saw the brunette walking down the stairs, avoiding any eye contact with her – a clear sign that she had already seen her but was trying to avoid another encounter. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Quinn." Rachel said, not being able to run away from the blonde once she fell at the same step as her. "I didn't know you smoked." That comment took Quinn by surprise. The woman didn't seem to be scolding her for ruining her vocal chords. It truly seemed like she was simply making a statement.

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me anymore." Quinn cringed when she saw Rachel wince just a bit. It wasn't her intention to make such a mean comment. It was really her trying to get to the next part of her speech without seeming like a weirdo. "That's why I am here, actually. In case you were wondering."

"What? You wanted to show me that you learned how to inhale smoke to your lungs?" Rachel had also gotten sarcastic, Quinn noticed, but didn't say anything. She simply shook her head as if she hadn't noticed the irony of her speech.

"No… I was thinking maybe we could go grab some coffee? Talk a bit." Maybe get the answers she had been waiting for the past ten years or maybe just get to know this changed woman all over again.

"And what is it that you want to speak about with me?" Rachel was giving her no opening and it made her a bit frustrated. If it wasn't for the fact that she had become a calm person over the years, Quinn would have probably taken Rachel's arm and made her do as she wanted.

"Nothing in particular. But I am new to the city… It'd be good to… actually know someone. And I do know you. So… thought I'd kill two birds with one stone." Quinn said before smiling awkwardly. "Sorry. I know how much you hate that analogy. Animal cruelty or whatever it is that you think about it now." It caught the blonde by surprise how that comment made Rachel stop marching down the streets of New York towards the Subway station.

"Well, it seems like I'm not the only one that doesn't know the other anymore." Rachel told her seriously, gripping the strap of her bag almost as if she was going to get mugged at any moment. "That means you won't be killing two birds with one stone."

"Another reason why you should let me take you out for coffee." Maybe it was Quinn's soft smile, the one that the brunette had always found too hard to say no to, or maybe it was the fact that Rachel was taking pity on her, but the 'yes' to the invitation came a few seconds later. Quinn was delighted, of course. When had she ever not been delighted by Rachel? Probably just a hand full of times. Especially that one time. But that was something she had learned not to think about. "Great! Do you know anywhere around here or should we just go to the nearest Starbucks?"

"I know a quiet place nearby." Rachel spoke softly and motioned with her head for the blonde to follow – something Quinn eagerly did.

It wasn't the coziest place, Quinn had to admit, but there was a charm to it she could appreciate. The establishment looked a bit dirty – something she was surprised to learn that Rachel didn't care about – but it had few costumers so there wasn't any noise. It would be easier for them to talk.

"Do you still take your coffee the same way?" Quinn asked as she walked to the counter, ready to order for them. She was definitely glad that she hadn't hers first because she was sure that after receiving the news that Rachel now drank her coffee with milk and cream, she would have spit all contents that would have been on her mouth. "You're not vegan anymore? Wow… I definitely did not see that coming."

It was a bit awkward after that. Especially after Quinn refused to let Rachel pay claiming she had probably made the former diva miss some sort of appointment, so it was the least she could do. If only she knew that Rachel's appointment was with her running shoes and then with her TV.

They sat by a far away booth that was against a window, letting them see the people walk around the place. Some were with purpose in their step, others walking aimlessly around New York. Quinn found that very interesting. The whole six years she lived in Chicago and even on her years in Lima, she never actually seen so many different types of people. Quinn was so wrapped up in her thoughts of how good of a picture that would be that she didn't even notice Rachel staring at her face. It was only when the brunette cleared her throat that she came back to reality, smiling softly.

"So… tell me about yourself." Quinn said after a quick apology. "You look different. Good, but different."

"There's not much to say about me but you clearly have become a terrible liar." Quinn had a hard time deciphering Rachel's tone. She didn't know if the woman was being sarcastic, playful or simply stating a fact but of something Quinn was definitely sure. Rachel wasn't trying to be nice to her, not even a little bit. It was very weird talking to the brunette with the whole 'Oh my God! I'm so excited to see you' tone.

"Yes, well… I've grown up. My conscious doesn't allow me to lie all that much anymore." Quinn replied truthfully. It was already awkward enough with the blonde trying to be polite and even sweet. There would only be bad consequences if she showed Rachel some of the attitude she was receiving. She smiled when the brunette raised her eyebrows at the answer and shrugged. "It's true. I've… matured a lot over the years and one thing I've learned is that honesty is always the better option."

Quinn didn't mean to sound like she was talking about their past but the quick frown that appeared on Rachel's forehead showed that it was exactly how it had sounded. "I'm sorry. That's now how I meant."

"It's fine, Quinn." It was clear that it definitely wasn't fine but the blonde refrained from of apologizing again. It would be easier to go into a different topic. And definitely the better choice since she was already treading a thin line with Rachel there. "So… you said you're new here in New York?"

Quinn was grateful that Rachel was actually trying to make some sort of conversation. She guessed the brunette was eager to change the topic they had accidentally gone to. "Yes. I got an offer to work as a full time photographer for a magazine here. I couldn't let it pass. Especially since they let me write a few articles too. I majored in Photography with a minor in English so I'm really trying to mash those two things together."

"That's great." Rachel replied simply, awkwardly playing with her mug of non-vegan coffee.

"It is. And the best part? It's all about music. Another passion of mine. One that you know about since it hasn't changed since high school. I actually work for 'Rolling Stone' magazine. I go around the city discovering new artists that are worth being known while also getting the awesome job of doing a few photo shoots for a few major bands. Did you know I actually met everyone from 'The Black Keys'? They are so awesome! I got a signed album from them! I can't actually believe this is my job, you know? I'd do it for free if they asked me too!" It was clear that Quinn truly loved her job from how excited she sounded. She was even rambling a bit, something she not usually did.

"Like I said, that's great, Quinn." Rachel actually sent her a tiny smile in her direction. A bit of progress, in Quinn's views. Maybe her impulse of going to meet the brunette after work wasn't that bad of an idea as her brain kept telling her. "I'm happy for you. You definitely got yourself a good life there." She did. Quinn had a happy life. One she didn't pictured after what went down with herself and Rachel.

The conversation went on for a little while longer. Quinn spoke much more than Rachel but she was glad that, at least, the attitude had stopped. She didn't mind sharing with the brunette about her life – not that she had actually said anything too personal, like the fact that she had actually managed to fall in love with another woman or the fact that she didn't talk to her parents anymore. It was easy conversation with smiles and a few laughs, most of them coming from Quinn.

"Well, I must get going. It's a long ride back home." Rachel said an hour later, cutting their conversation short. Quinn could see that there was more to it than the brunette actually said, but she let it go. It wasn't her place anymore to ask what was that looking she was getting or anything of that type.

"Oh… alright." Quinn said, trying and failing to hide her disappointment. She had been happy to run into Rachel after all those years. Even though the feelings that once she thought were long gone were starting to resurface. "Here's my card. In case you have some free time and want to hang out." She decided to leave the part that she would be waiting by the phone for her call out. There was no reason to say that. There was no reason to show off her feelings like that – she may not be able to lie well anymore but that didn't mean she was incapable of keeping anything to herself. "It was nice seeing you again… refreshing."

"I'll see you around, Quinn." Rachel replied, taking the car and rushing outside, getting out of the blonde's view once she turned a corner.

Of one thing Quinn was sure of after that hour with Rachel. She was screwed.

~End of Chapter 3~


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

Chapter 4 – Regrets

 **Hello, everyone!**

 **A big thank you to the ones that took their time to review and also to everyone that put this story on favorite or followed it! It means a lot to me.**

 **Here's the forth chapter. Hope you guys like it! Let me know and let a review!**

 **By the way, I own nothing but the plot or the OC. And all mistakes are mine!**

Tuesday had been a hard day for Rachel. Seeing Quinn and talking to her again had done nothing but cause her pain. The blonde looked so good. And happy. Something that, as selfish as it sounded, Rachel was jealous of. Not of the fact that she was happy, no. But of the fact that she had been able to accomplish so much _without_ her. In all honesty, Rachel had always thought that she was the one that would get everything – even if she didn't actually think she deserved it, not after what she did – but it seemed like fate or God or whatever it was, had seen Quinn as more worthy of happiness. Rachel could understand why, after all, the blonde was nothing short of perfect. Especially this new one she had encountered.

And that's why she was so quick to leave their coffee dat- meeting, not date. Coffee meeting. It was just too hard seeing the blonde happy without her by her side. It was selfish of her but she simply couldn't stop feeling that. Although, that was a part of her that had always wished Quinn was the happiest woman in the world. Even after all these years, the blonde was still the only person she had ever loved, so of course she still wished she was the happiest. But that didn't mean it didn't make her bitter knowing that she wasn't the cause of it. Something that was her fault and she had no right in feeling.

The next few days that followed her encounter with Quinn were rough. Not that her job got more intense or that she had anything extra to do. They were rough because she couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful blonde woman that had once returned her feelings. Every waking moment of the last three days, Rachel would spend with wishful thoughts of what could have been. She had even started to slack off on her routine – something that made her roommate get excited yet worried about. Not once since they were living together did Rachel took a break from her routine.

That's why now she found herself sitting down on the same coffee shop they had gone to the other day, impatiently waiting for Quinn to show up. It was a Saturday morning, and the place was practically empty, Rachel noticed. Only two other costumers. It was probably because it was eight a.m. on a weekend. People usually liked to sleep in. She didn't, though. That's why she proposed such an early meeting – and also because she didn't want to screw up her routine all that much. She had classes to prepare.

Her nerves started getting the best of her, though, when she noticed that Quinn was ten minutes late. Her mind started going wild thinking that the blonde was going to skip their meeting, that the blonde was trying to get revenge after what she did, that the blonde just simply didn't care. She was proven wrong, though, when the photographer entered the coffee shop.

Quinn looked beautiful, Rachel had to admit. The way her messy hair stuck out on the front under her beanie, the way her clothes fit her so well, the way her eyes shined even with small bags under it. She was incredibly beautiful even if she looked tired. It took Rachel's breath away. In that moment she thought what would it be like to wake up with this grown up version of Quinn every day by her side, smiling sleepily at her with eyes half closed. Her heart sored with the image, wishing she could still have that. But it was her fault that she didn't. It was her fault and she knew it.

"Hey! Sorry, I'm late. I know how you hate when that happens. But you can blame my work; it's really hard to wake up so early after having stayed up till three a.m. of this new band. The snooze button had been too tempting for me not to press." Quinn's smile as she spoke was making incredibly hard for Rachel to actually concentrate on the words coming off of her mouth.

"Uh… that's… that's alright. I'm sorry I brought you here so early, then. If you had mentioned that to me, I'd certainly had picked another time for us to meet. My apologies, Quinn." Rachel mentally patted herself on the bag for being able to concentrate enough to put together a phrase that actually made sense.

"Oh, no, no! It's cool, really." Quinn's smile only got bigger as she sat down and Rachel had to look away. She took a napkin and pretended to clean her hands just not to seem like some pathetic woman that couldn't handle eye contact. "I'll just get some extremely strong coffee and sleep when I get home. I don't actually have another band to cover tonight, just need to work on the review for that one but I can do that tomorrow. So it's all good."

"I'm… glad I didn't mess up your schedule, then."

"I don't really have a schedule or a routine. One of the many great benefits of working for a monthly magazine. I can pretty much do what I want, whenever I want."

"Isn't that bad for you, though? I mean… you're twenty eight year old woman. Having a routine is a healthy part of life. Especially at that age." When Quinn raised her perfectly sculptured eyebrow, Rachel's eyes went wide. "I didn't mean to say that you're old. Not at all. You actually look quite younger. Maybe… twenty-five? Certainly you must know that you're beautiful and I bet you have many men falling for you on the spot and… you weren't mad, were you?" She trailed off, asking that question once she took noticed for Quinn's amused grin.

"No. Not really. I am twenty-eight. I am getting older. And just because I don't have a schedule, doesn't mean I don't have a routine, Rachel. My time is just flexible. And I don't think there's nothing wrong with that."

"Well, I'd have to disagree, Quinn. As much as I believe that a break from a routine every now and then can be very therapeutic, following it is healthy and the right thing to do." Rachel said with conviction in her voice and determination in her eyes, almost as if she was challenging Quinn to say she was wrong. She remembered when just a pout or glare from her made the blonde cave into her every wish and words but by the light laughter that escaped Quinn's lips, that trait of their relationship was long gone.

 **Flashback to their Senior Year:**

 _"Quinn!" Rachel screeched in a high pitch voice that made the blonde visibly wince. "I can not believe you! How could you possibly think that?!"_

 _"Baby, it's not like that… I just have a different… point of view in this. I'm not doing anything wrong by having an opinion." Quinn said, pulling Rachel closer to her by the waist, nuzzling the girl's neck with her nose. "C'mon, baby… Just let it go… for once."_

 _"Don't you baby me, Quinn Fabray! And don't you think that being your sweet adorable self will make me change my mind! I'm right, you're wrong and that's that." Rachel pushed herself off of Quinn's arms, pacing back and forth on her room as the blonde sighed and sat by the edge of the bed, looking at her girlfriend._

 _"Well, I'm sorry I don't think the same way you do. You can't get me to think exactly like you, Rach. I'm sorry. But my opinion is that and it won't be changed because you're being an extremely sexy drama queen." Rachel turned to glare at her and Quinn raised her arms in surrender._

 _"I never said you shouldn't be entitled of your own opinion. But this is serious! This is something I can't accept!"_

 _"Okay, now you're just overreacting." Quinn tried to reason, standing up to get Rachel to calm down with a hug._

 _"Am not! Funny Girl is the greatest musical of all times! And I refuse to let you, my girlfriend, think otherwise." Rachel said, stomping her foot on the carpet once she was done talking. "I can't believe my own girlfriend likes to watch Grease more than the greatest musical Barbra ever starred on."_

 _"Oh my God… Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I just didn't assimilate everything the movie had to offer me. Let's watch it again right now. How's that?" It was clear that Quinn was compromising for the sake of her sanity but Rachel simply decided to accept that it was because she was right, smiling brightly at the girl._

 _"Again? You want to watch it again? Right now? Oh, baby!" Rachel threw herself in Quinn's arms and kissed her showered her entire face with loving kisses. "I knew you'd see it my way! Let's watch it again, this time with me commenting on every part so you can truly understand how amazing this movie is."_

 _"Sounds like heaven." Quinn told her with a smile before sighing when Rachel moved to put on the movie once more. She was in for a long couple of hours._

 **End of Flashback.**

"You sound like someone that has the most strict routine ever. You should loosen up a bit. It's healthier than never doing anything you want." Rachel frowned and shook her head, still not convinced with Quinn's words. She was never going to let go of her schedule, it was the thing that kept her going and that kept her busy. She had not reason whatsoever to break it. "Well, I can see that I'm never going to convince you. Meaning you're still as stubborn as you were ten years ago."

"Not really. I just have strong convictions." Rachel said softly, playing with her cup of coffee. If she took Quinn's advise and 'loosen up a bit', she was sure that she'd go crazy in the first hour. Rachel didn't know how to have fun anymore. Fun for her was watching TV and drinking wine on her Friday night, nothing more than that.

"That you have." Quinn agreed with a chuckle and Rachel wondered if she remembered everything from their relationship like she did. The brunette hope she did even though she had no right to wish anything out of the blonde. But she still hoped. "But anyway, how did you get into teaching?"

"I received an offer and took it." Rachel replied simply and ignored the way Quinn rolled her eyes while taking off her beanie. "There's nothing more than that."

"Well but… but what about Broadway? Did the dream change?" Rachel could see Quinn was being careful, threading lightly and it made the brunette's heart skip a big. How could someone be so sweet to her after she was so mean to her? She wished she had the guts to ask Quinn that.

"There's no dream anymore. It didn't happen but that doesn't matter." Rachel replied and watched Quinn's expression for some sort of sign of what she was thinking but it seemed that the ten years apart made her lose that power. She just looked a bit shocked, Rachel noticed. "It's fine, Quinn. I'm good. I have a steady job and a place to live that it's actually extremely comfortable. I'm good."

"Bullshit." Quinn said flatly but without being mean, making Rachel's eyebrows go up. "That's bullshit and we both know it. You're good? Please, Rachel. You can't fool me with that one."

"I'm not lying! I'm good. I am good, Quinn Fabray!" Rachel said aggravated. She hated when someone called her out on that lie. She tried so hard to seem content with life. She noticed, though, that Quinn backed down on trying to get information out of her. "Anyways…" Rachel started, much more composed this time. "You said you moved here not long ago. Where did you live?"

"Well, after I graduated in Yale, I went to live with my sister in Chicago and that's where I was for the past six years." Quinn replied without the smile that had been on her face almost the entire time till now. Rachel missed it already.

"Six years? Wow. It must have been hard leaving there."

"It was. I do miss it, even though I am in love with New York. I miss it. I miss my sister, I miss my nephew, I miss my old apartment. I left practically my entire life behind to go after this opportunity." Quinn told her before biting her bottom lip, something that instantly caught Rachel's attention. She had missed those lips. "I almost didn't take the job."

"Really? Why's that?" Rachel asked, ignoring the sense of relief that went through her body after hearing that Quinn didn't stick with that decision. She was growing incredibly attached already.

"I had a life there. I was happy… incredibly so." Quinn replied with a soft smile, making it obvious to Rachel that she was remembering something.

"What made you change your mind then?"

"My girlfriend… Well, ex-girlfriend now." In that moment, Rachel was glad she wasn't sipping her coffee or she would have spilled everything on Quinn. This was something that didn't even occur to her. Of course Quinn had someone in her life. How could she not? She was beautiful, sweet, funny. And she was so, so charming. Rachel remembered that the blonde didn't even noticed how charming she could be. It was amazing. "She made me see that I'd really regret not taking this opportunity. After all, this is something I've been working for since I graduated. Yeah, I was becoming a bit famous in Chicago. I was asked more and more to do freelance gigs for some companies but… at the end of the day, it wasn't what I have now. And I'd have regretted it. And I'd have resented her and my sister and maybe even my nephew once that feeling came along. But now I'm here. Having the most incredible work experience in the world."

"That's… great, Quinn. Your… girlfriend-" Rachel was definitely glad that Quinn interrupted her because she was choking out the word as if it burned her throat to say it.

"Ex. We broke up before I left. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us to stay in a long term relationship."

"Right… that's incredibly reasonable. And your ex was right. You would have regretted it."

"Is that what happened to you? Did you regret not following your dream?"

"Quinn… that's not-"

"You can tell me, Rachel. I am here to listen to you, not judge." Quinn said with a reassuring smile. "You know how great of a listener I am. C'mon, tell me what happened? Did you get hurt or something? Was it your vocal ch-"

"My God, Quinn! There's no dream anymore! Let it go! And even if I still had a dream, it wouldn't be your fucking business to ask about it! You're nothing to me anymore!" Rachel snapped angrily, glaring at the blonde sitting in front of her. The regret came the second she looked at Quinn's face. Oh God, what had she done? How could she say such a thing to the greatest girl in the world? She looked so wounded right now and Rachel's heart broke with the sight. But she couldn't have helped it. Quinn hit too close to home with her guess.

Rachel was ready to apologize to her but Quinn spoke first. "It's fine." She said when it clearly wasn't. Her face said otherwise. "You're right. I was meddling in something that's none of my business. I'm sorry… And I apologize because I must go now. The lack of sleep is taking a big effort out of me and I must sleep."

"Quinn… I…" Rachel started, watching as the blonde's expression changed from hurt to numb, but she waved her off, already standing and throwing some bills on the table.

"It was nice seeing you again. Bye, Rachel." The brunette sat there, watching as Quinn stuffed her hands in her skinny ripped jeans, striding out of the coffee shop. She had screwed it up this time. Big time. And the thought of hurting Quinn again only made her tear up.

Rachel had stayed there for almost ten minutes, looking at the door, almost as if waiting for the blonde to come back. But Quinn didn't. And Rachel admitted defeat before standing. Just as she did that, though, she saw Quinn's forgotten beanie on the other side of the booth. Rachel smiled as she took it, holding it against her chest.. Maybe that was a sign that she should try again. And it was a sign she was willing to follow.

~End of Chapter 4~


	5. Chapter 5

_Beep._

Hello, Quinn. It's me, Rachel... Berry... It's Rachel Berry. I just wanted to apologize for this morning. It wasn't fair of me to… I… I was hoping we could meet up again? Maybe go out to eat or… or see a movie. Whatever you want is fine…. Anyways, give me a call after you get this. I'm really sorry… Oh! And I have your beanie! You left it on the coffee shop… So, call me back!

 _Beep._

Hey, Quinneth! It's Fran. I just read your article on the magazine. You were great! Anyways, call me back! Oh, and Jamie says hi!

 _Beep._

Hey, Quinn. James here. Just wanted to tell you that we have another band for you to cover tomorrow! I'll email you the details.

 _Beep._

Hey, Quinn. It's Rachel… again. I haven't heard from you yet. I don't know if you're busy with work or if you're ignoring me – which is reasonable – but I think we should meet up to talk about a few things… And as I said earlier, I have your hat... beanie… beanie hat… Bye.

 _Beep._

Lucy Q! It's Jen. Read your article. Simply amazing! I'm proud of you. Lots of love.

 _Beep._

Hey, it's Rachel again… Just letting you know I have your beanie in case I didn't say it before.

 _Beep._

Hey, Rachel Berry here again. Did I mention I have your beanie?

Quinn sighed and threw her phone on the couch, rubbing her eyes. She had slept the entire day on Saturday, only waking up on Sunday morning. It had been an intense morning with Rachel and it seemed like her body and mind needed to fully rest. But now here she was, beating herself up for not having heard her phone. Rachel probably thought she was mad. And much to her surprise, she wasn't. Quinn was blaming herself more than anything. She was the one that had pressed the matter. She was the one that tried to get the information out of Rachel after having not seen or talked to her for ten years.

Deciding to handle the easiest messages first, Quinn called her sister and sent a thank you text to Jen before checking her email. It was an easy enough job, take pictures of the band playing and do an article about them for the online version of the magazine. With nothing else to do and no more excuses to give herself, she called Rachel.

"Quinn?" Rachel answered eagerly after just one ring, making Quinn smile at how adorable she was. Rachel was and would ever be the cutest girl she had ever met.

"Yeah, it's me." Quinn replied, playing with her necklace nervously. In that moment, she was glad that Rachel couldn't see her. One thing she didn't want was too look pathetic. "Sorry for taking so long to call you back. I actually slept the day away yesterday, then I spent the entire night writing the article that I told you about… I honestly just checked my messages."

"That's alright. I understand. You did look rather tired yesterday morning. I'm glad you got to rest." Quinn smiled a bit more at Rachel's words. She still cared. Of course she still cared.

"Yes… anyways, you wanted to meet up?"

"Well… if you want to. I… I'm really sorry for… for yesterday. I didn't-"

"Rachel, it's fine. Really… it was my fault. I shouldn't have pressed the subject. You were right, it wasn't any of my business. I understand. I really do."

"Still… I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was… rude and… and mean. And I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." Rachel said with a soft voice, making Quinn picture exactly what she would be doing while talking to her.

"Perhaps not… but I pushed it. And I apologize too. That's why I do think that us meeting up again would be a good idea. Clear the air, you know?"

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing!" Quinn resisted the want to giggle at Rachel's excitement. She didn't want the woman to think she was laughing at her.

"Are you busy today? I can take the subway back to Manhattan right now if you want."

"Actually… I am busy. I have this band to photograph in a bar in Soho. You're more than welcome to come, though. It won't take long for me to take pictures of them and we can spend the rest of the time talking."

"Oh, no, Quinn! I wouldn't want to impose on you like that. I'm sure I'd just be in your way if I came… we can meet up again some other time. It's fine."

"I'm texting you the address the minute we hang up. I usually get to the… well, bars two hours early to talk with some people. So I'll be there from eight onwards. You can come whenever you want, okay? It won't be a problem."

"Well… if you don't think it'll be a problem… maybe I can stop by."

"Awesome. Well, then, I'll see you later, Rachel! Oh! And don't forget my beanie hat." Quinn teased and smiled, imagining the blush that was probably covering the brunette's cheeks at that exact moment.

"Right… yeah. Your beanie. Of course." Rachel laughed awkwardly and Quinn bit her lip to stop herself again from giggling at the woman. "I should go now. Do a few things before going there. Bye, Quinn."

"Bye, Rach." Quinn hung up and smiled, incredibly happy that at least one of their conversations hadn't been a disaster. It was a bit of progress and Quinn would not take that for granted. She could see Rachel had several issues and she truly wanted to help. Because no matter what had gone down between them, she still cared for Rachel deeply, she always would. And she knew that as much as the brunette had changed, she cared for her as well. They had been each other's first love, after all, and no one forgets their first love.

 **Flashback to their Senior Year:**

 _Quinn was laying on her back on Rachel's bed, eyes closed and listening to her girlfriend's iPod. The brunette was currently on her ballet lessons and Quinn was hanging around her room, waiting till she got home. She ended up falling asleep with Rachel's smell surrounding her, though. Something Rachel was very happy to take advantage of._

 _"LUCY QUINN FABRAY! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?" Rachel yelled at her, laughing like mad when the blonde sat up quickly, startled._

 _"Damn it, Rachel! You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days." Quinn grumbled, rubbing her eyes._

 _"Oh, baby..." The brunette said as she managed to control her laughter, moving closer to the bed. "Come here and let me make it up to you."_

 _"No!" Quinn said and laid back down, pulling the covers over her head. "C'mon, baby… give me a kiss." Rachel said, straddling Quinn's waist and trying to pull the blanket down. "Just a kiss… pretty please?"_

 _"You're mean, Rachel Berry." Quinn grumbled under the covers, not letting her girlfriend pull them down. "You're just lucky I love you." She said without thinking. Her mind registered her words, though, when she felt Rachel stop moving on top of her._

 _"You… You… love me?" Rachel asked softly, her smile growing brightly and her eyes shining with happiness._

 _"Uh… no…" Quinn lied and refused to get out from under the covers. "It was an… an expression." "You do… You love me." Rachel said and started pulling the covers down again. "Will you let me see your face, please?" She asked and Quinn let her pull the blankets down but didn't make eye contact. "Baby… look at me, please. Please." Rachel put her hands on Quinn's face, making her turn to her but the blonde closed her eyes. "My God, Quinn! Look at me! I refuse to say it back without looking at your beautiful hazel eyes."_

 _"Wait… Say it back?" Quinn was so stunned that she snapped her eyes open, looking at Rachel nervously. "You… You love me too?"_

 _"Of course I do, Quinn. You're… you're my first love. And right now, I'm really hoping you'll be my last too." Rachel said, caressing the nervous girl's cheek with her thumb. "I love you, Quinn Fabray."_

 _"I love you too, Rachel Berry."_

 **End of Flashback**

It was around eight thirty when Quinn saw Rachel again. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that the woman got there earlier than necessary, like herself. There was literally only five people on the bar as the brunette came inside – the bartender, Quinn, two band members and someone cleaning the tables. The blonde watched as Rachel nervously looked around, obviously feeling self-conscious for getting there too early.

"Hey!" Quinn greeted, moving closer to the brunette. She looked beautiful. Stunning, even. Rachel was wearing a black dress that reached mid thigh and black pumps that made her legs look ever longer – something that Quinn was very happy to see. Her hair was loose and her make up was, in Quinn's mind, perfectly done. She looked sexy, she looked beautiful, she looked mature. Back when they used to date, Rachel wouldn't even consider wearing something like this but now she seemed more comfortable on her own skin. _Maybe that's one thing she got better in,_ Quinn thought to herself, happy that at least one good thing had happened to Rachel. "You look great! Never thought I'd see you wearing something like that."

"Hi, Quinn." Rachel replied, a small smile appearing on her face when she spotted the blonde. She chuckled a bit at the photographer and shrugged. "I couldn't keep wearing animal sweaters. I'm too old for that."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I like it, though. You look really beautiful." Quinn said sincerely and smiled to herself when Rachel blushed. It was a even bigger progress to see the red cheeks. That thought made Quinn happy. She wasn't going to push Rachel for answers again, she wanted the woman to come to her when she was ready. And for that to happen, Rachel needed to see her as a friend again, Rachel needed to see that she genuinely cared for her. "Why don't you choose somewhere to sit? I will go get you something to drink and we can talk for a bit till I have to go back to work."

The blonde went to the bar and got Rachel a glass of red wine before moving towards the brunette, sitting opposite to her. Conversation flowed between them once the initial awkwardness passed and soon they were happily chatting. Quinn made sure to stay on safe topics, not wanting to upset Rachel like she had the day before, and excused herself once she had to go back to work.

When it came time for the band to perform, the bar was crowded. People were talking loudly and drinking as the music played as background to them. Quinn didn't notice Rachel watching her more than actually watch the band, too focused on her job. Maybe if she had, she would have come back to her sooner. But it was almost two hours later that the blonde went to sit with Rachel again.

"So, what did you think of the band?" Quinn asked, taking the opportunity that she had finished working to actually drink something. "I could use an interview with someone on the audience for my article about them."

"Well… they were… nice, I guess." Rachel said with a smile, sipping on her fourth glass of wine of the night. "They have energy but they don't seem to have rehearsed all that much. And the singer was out of pitch in practically all the songs."

Quinn chuckled at her and nodded, agreeing. "That is true. I hate when that happens. I hate having to give a bad review for someone."

"You shouldn't. It's those things, the constructive criticism that make people grow. It's a good way to learn." Rachel said and smiled at Quinn. "But I can see you beating yourself up for giving a bad review. You always were very sweet… Well, not always, Ms. Head cheerleader… but you were very sweet when we…" She trailed off. It felt still like it was a taboo between them. Saying that they used to date, that is. Quinn could understand why – they hadn't ended things on good terms. Maybe it was a good thing for now, avoid any difficult topics till they had formed a stronger friendship than the one they had now – which was barely friendship at all. "Quinn… I… I want to apologize to you again about yesterday… No, no… please, let me talk." She said when she saw that the blonde was about to interrupt her. "I was incredibly rude to you. And I'm truly sorry for that. I shouldn't have said that you meant nothing to me… that's a lie. You will mean something to me and… and I'm sorry for hurting your feelings by saying that."

"Okay… apology accepted. Well, as long as you accept mine for pressuring you like that. I shouldn't have done that. And I'm truly sorry as well… Can we start over?"

"Yes, I'd love that." Rachel said with a smile before looking at her watch. "But it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow. So I must go. It's an hour to go back to Brooklyn."

"You live in Brooklyn? Okay, no. You're staying with me tonight. There's no way I'm letting you take the subway at this hour."

"Quinn, it's fine. I don't want to impose and-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer. You can stay with me. My couch is very comfy. And I'll let you borrow something to wear to work tomorrow. And before you say anything, I own more than just… kinda hipster clothes." Quinn said with a chuckle and Rachel smiled softly.

"I like them. It suits you. But yeah, they are a bit hipster." Rachel chuckled. "Well, what can I say? I may be twenty-eight but I still look like I'm twenty-two."

"No you don't." Rachel laughed. "I'm sorry but your face gives it away. Don't get me wrong, you're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen but… you can't pass twenty-two."

Quinn chuckled along with Rachel and nodded. "Yeah.. maybe you're right. Anyways, I'm just gonna gather up my stuff and we can go, alright?"

Quinn let Rachel inside after having unlocked the door, walking behind her. "Quinn, this place is great." She said with a smile, looking around till her eyes fell on a photomural with only Polaroid pictures covering half of a wall.

"I know. It's very cozy, right?" Quinn smiled and told Rachel to make herself at home as she went to get some blankets and pillows for her. The blonde raised her eyebrows when she saw Rachel still looking at the photos. "My plan is to fill the rest of the wall." She spoke, making her presence known to Rachel. "That's why I always have that camera with me. Just in case I see something worth of putting up there."

"It's beautiful." Rachel commented, smiling at the pictures of Quinn with a young boy. "Who's this cutie over here?" She asked, pointing to a specific photo.

"That's my nephew. Cute, right?"

"Very cute but… I don't mean to be… is he adopted?" Rachel asked awkwardly and Quinn laughed, shaking her head.

"No. My sister married a black man." She explained. "Can you believe that?"

"Your sister… Oh my God. How did your parents take that?" Rachel asked, laughing a bit.

"As well as you can imagine. Fabray sisters are not part of the family anymore." Quinn told Rachel, chuckling a bit.

"Wait… you too? You… You actually came out to them?" Rachel asked, feeling her throat constrict at the news.

"Yeah, well… I had to. I couldn't keep living a lie, you know?" Quinn said softly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. This was not a safe topic. She knew that this could upset Rachel greatly since she wouldn't actually come out when they were together. "It took me a long time, though… I only did it after I graduated… So… yeah."

"Right, yes… of course you couldn't." Rachel said softly, shaking her head a bit before looking at Quinn. "I'm happy for you… Not that they didn't accept it but… but that you're being true to yourself."

"Thank you… Uh… I got you some clothes already." Quinn said, ready to change the subject. She couldn't have them lose the progress they did. "There's a shirt and sweatpants for you to sleep in. And another shirt, fancier… well, not by much but she has buttons so I thought that would help in looking professional." Quinn laughed softly, making Rachel smile a bit at her. "And some jeans. You might have to roll them up, though."

"Thank you, Quinn."

"No problem… uh… the bathroom is down the hall to your right. You can use anything you want there… and I'm gonna leave you to it. You have an early morning tomorrow." Quinn said and smiled at Rachel, pulling her for a quick hug before retreating to her room.

When Quinn woke up early the next morning, Rachel was already gone. She patted her way to the living room only to find the blankets and pajamas neatly folded on top of the pillows. She shook her head as she smiled. Of course Rachel would make sure to not get anything wrinkled. Walking closer, she noticed a small note on top of everything.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night, it was very sweet of you. I'll give you back your clothes (and your beanie that I forgot to bring last night) some time this week. I had fun last night, hope we can meet again soon."

Quinn smiled with the note. Yes, they had definitely made progress.

~End of Chapter 5~


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

Chapter 6: Surprise.

 **Hello! I'm back! Sorry that I took a little bit of time updating this chapter. I got a bit overwhelmed with work.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy! Please, leave a review!**

 **All mistakes are mine and Glee is not mine.**

September and October passed by quickly for Rachel. It was weird that time hadn't drowned out like it usually did. She guessed that it was because of a certain blonde that had come back into her life and made her happy. It was true. Rachel was happy for the first time in years. Their friendship had developed into a strong one through those months, each of them becoming more at ease with each other.

Rachel now had a different kind of routine, one that didn't move around her work. It was hard at first have Quinn 'screw up' her schedule but the brunette had grown to love the spontaneous visits and outings they had. But now she loved it. She loved that she didn't know if she would do something crazy that day just because Quinn felt like doing something different. She simply loved the turn of events.

There were still quite a few problems, though. The first one was that Rachel's feelings for the blonde had come back full force and she had no idea how to stop them. There was even a day where she got extremely mad with Quinn when her ex called to talk. She couldn't help it, though, knowing that this Jennifer woman had managed to keep a friendship with Quinn after they broke up. She wished that the same had happened to them but she knew it was impossible given how badly things turned out. Rachel was glad they had managed to work through it – well, not work through it since it was the 'forbidden' subject to be discussed. That and what had actually happened to make her give up Broadway.

As much as Quinn had managed to break most of her walls and waltz back into her heart, Rachel still found it very hard to open up to the blonde about those things. There were so many things that needed to be said, so many things that needed to be resolved. And she knew that if they didn't work those things out, it was bound to blow up on them at some point. And the last thing she wanted – or needed – was to lose Quinn again. That didn't mean she had the courage to approach those subjects just yet, though.

Despite that, their friendship was blossoming incredibly. It was exactly the way it had been back in high school before they fell into a relationship. There was even flirting going on between them but none of them had actually made the move. In the back of her mind, Rachel thought that Quinn was feeling the same. It was only natural. They had ended things so suddenly that neither of them managed to resolve their feelings and now they were back in each other's lives. There really wasn't anything to be done about it.

And that's why Rachel was now standing in front of Quinn's apartment door. It was a cold Saturday morning in November and she hadn't heard from the blonde in a day – something that was very unlike her. She had gone there with coffee cups and bagels, excited about the thought of spending time with her favorite person. The brunette knocked on the door a few times and smiled with a happy glint to her eyes when she heard someone come to the door. Who opened it, though, was not someone Rachel was expecting.

"Hello. Can I help you?" The tall blonde woman asked with a polite smile and voice and Rachel tried hard to control her anger. How could Quinn do this to her? Why was there a woman answering her door? More than that, why was there a woman that looked like she had just woken up answering the door? Rachel could understand that she and Quinn didn't have anything official going on but they had been flirting! Was Quinn just leading her on? Was Quinn trying to seduce her once again only to smash her heart in revenge? Rachel was taken out of her thoughts when the woman spoke again. She must have stood there staring for too long. "Uh… are you alright?"

"Right, yes. Good morning. Sorry to… disturb. I didn't know Quinn would have any visitors. I'll be back in another time." Rachel said and turned on her heel, marching her way to the elevator till she heard the woman laughing.

"I'm Quinn's sister. Relax, Rachel." She said, sounding completely amused and very aware of Rachel's jealous tone of voice. "And yes, I know who you are. You have dated my sister before so… by anyways, are you coming inside?"

If Rachel could crawl inside a hole and disappear in that moment, she would have. She couldn't believe she had made a fool out of herself in front of Francine. Francine! How could she have not remembered her face? Quinn had shown pictures of her before. "Sorry… I'm sorry. I was just… surprised to see another woman answering the door."

"It's alright. I'm just glad you didn't throw the scalding hot coffee on my face. That would have been much more embarrassing than that. I won't tell Quinn you were jealous, though, so don't worry." Rachel blushed hard at those words and smiled shyly at the older woman. Inside, she was berating herself for being so awkward in front of the _one_ person on Quinn's family she actually had to impress. "Why don't you come inside, though? We're making pancakes."

"Oh, I don't want to impose on your time with your sister. I know for a fact how much she has missed you and your son as well. Jamie, is it? He's very adorable. Quinn has showed me some videos of him. They are very taken with each other from what I noticed. I have no intent in barging into your family t-". Rachel was interrupted from her ramble when a little boy appeared behind Francine covered in flour.

"Mommy, aunt Quinn dirted me." He said in a soft childish whine.

"Got you dirty, baby boy. Dirted is not a word." The mother explained as she laughed at her son's appearance. "And I'll help you get her back for that. For now, though, how about we go clean up a bit, yeah?" She asked the boy who nodded, looking at Rachel with curious eyes. "Oh, right! This is Rachel. One of aunt Quinn's friends. Say hi, Jamie." The boy kept looking at her before hugging his mother's leg, smiling shyly at Rachel. "Oh no, this is priceless. You're shy? That's a first." She chuckled and picked the boy up. "C'mon, say hi."

When the boy hid his face on Fran's neck, looking at Rachel from there, the brunette chuckled fondly. "Hello, James. I'm Rachel. It's very nice to meet you." She said, deciding to take the approach with the shy boy. She could see some of Quinn in him, in his manner and it made her love him already. When he let out a soft 'hi' and hid himself again, she chuckled once more. "Well, it was very nice meeting you but I must get going. Sent a hello to Quinn for me, okay?"

Before she could go, though, Fran shouted inside the apartment. "QUINNETH! COME MAKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND STAY, SHE'S EMBARRASSED!"

There was a loud thump sound inside the apartment before Quinn appeared. Rachel couldn't help but find the sight of the blonde with flour on her cheeks and hair wearing sweatpants and a tank top completely adorable. She even forgot about how embarrassed she truly was about the situation and smiled at the photographer. "Hey! I didn't… I didn't know you were stopping by." Quinn said with a smile of her own, cleaning herself a bit to look more presentable and it only made Rachel smile more at her.

"I thought I would surprise you with breakfast." Rachel said, showing the bag of bagels and coffees in her hands. "But it turned out that I was the one that got surprised."

"Yes, Fran didn't tell me she was coming… I'd… That's why I didn't talk to you yesterday. I was… I was kinda busy and… Sorry." Quinn replied, scratching the back of her neck. The blonde shook her head a bit before turning to Rachel looking way less shy. "Why don't you come in, though? You could have breakfast with us. It'll be fun."

"It's quite alright, Quinn. I can understand that. And I never intended on intruding on your time with your family. I apologize for that." Rachel told her, already shaking her head for the request. She really felt like they were only being polite to her. "I really don't want to take your time away from your family."

"Why would you be taking time away from them? We're all going to hang out. C'mon. Don't make me use Jamie's pout as a weapon for you to stay." The smile in Quinn's face made the brunette swoon a bit and she ended up agreeing to it.

"Alright. I'll stay… but only for breakfast."

"Psht, like you'd be able to leave after having properly met my nephew. You'll want to kidnap him and just keep him to yourself. He's the most adorable kid in the whole universe." It still amazed Rachel how highly Quinn spoke of the little boy. Over the past few months of their building friendship, the blonde would constantly bring him up. It was almost as if she was craving to have one kid of her own.

Rachel thought better to not think of that, though. She had come so far in not constantly bringing herself down because of things she couldn't change. She knew that by then, if they were still together, Quinn would be gushing like that over _their_ kid.

"Alright. Since you two seem to have forgotten that you have other people around, I'm gonna go clean my son up a bit while you two talk." Fran interrupted them, not even trying to hide her smirk – something that Rachel noticed rather quickly. "And Lucy, try not to get another guest dirty. Jamie is already enough… Well, and you." Quinn looked down at herself, noticing the flour on her pajamas and hands. Rachel managed to suppress a fond giggle. Quinn was just too cute for words.

"Right. Yes. I'm cleaning up too. Only after you come back. I wouldn't leave Rachel alone and all that." Quinn said shyly and motioned for the brunette to come inside, going with her to the kitchen as her sister moved the other way.

The two got to the kitchen in a comfortable silence but it soon turned awkward when they faced each other again. They stood there, trying to find something to talk about, till Quinn finally noticed that she had yet to start cooking the pancakes. "Heavens! The pancakes. Rach, why don't you go pick something for you to drink from the fridge and set another place at the table? I have to do these before they come back. Jamie is very hungry."

It was almost as if they were a married couple in that moment, Rachel noticed. Even though they were far from that, the way they were so comfortable around each other, despite their awkward silent moments at times, made her heart jump a bit. She could picture them being like this every day. Making breakfast, maneuvering themselves around the kitchen without getting in each other's way because they simply could predict the next step that was coming. It was all very overwhelming for the brunette. She wished they could have that for real. No more silliness. But that was still a long way to go – that is, if Quinn still wanted her as she once did. And just like that, she brought herself down. It had been her mistake.

Those feelings soon took the backseat of her mind when a four year old dressed as Batman appeared in the kitchen, all clean.

"Hey, Jamie. All clean?" Quinn asked him with a smile and chuckled when he stomped his foot.

"Aunt Quinn! Is Batman not Jamie."

"Oh right. Sorry for revealing your secret identity but I'm sure Rachel didn't hear it." Quinn said with a fond smile and looked at Rachel, giving her a silent look to play along.

"My Goodness! What's Batman doing here? Oh no, is the Joker staying here? Or… Or…" Rachel tried hard to remember another name of a Batman villain but she just couldn't.

"The Penguin?" Quinn suggested.

"Yes! Him! Is that it, Batman? Or is aunt Quinn the villain here? Should I help you get her?" Rachel smiled at how excited the boy seemed in bringing his 'evil aunt down'. He was nodding his head quickly and bouncing in his step.

"Yes! Rachel, she's bad! Let's get her!" Jamie said and ran to his aunt's leg, hugging it tightly and not letting go. "I got you! You down! You down!"

Rachel smiled as Quinn pretended to get hurt, kneeling down so that the boy could pretend to punch her face, 'making her fly away'. It was incredible their interactions and Rachel thanked God that no one let her leave. She didn't want to have missed this show.

When Francine came back, breakfast was already on the table and everyone was sat, waiting for her. It had been such a long time since Rachel had had such a great time with a family. Now, all her dinners with her parents were quiet with the occasional question they asked to try and make her talk. It had yet to work but she had a feeling that would change soon, though. Quinn was helping her heal even if she didn't know it yet.

She was simply mesmerized by that little family. It was a shame Francine's husband couldn't have come with them. From what they were saying, he was the funniest. And if that was really the case, Rachel knew she would probably have juice coming off of her nose from how hard she was laughing.

Jamie was the cutest, she realized. But he was also very protective of his family. She managed to answer his question about 'her intentions with his Auntie Quinn' without laughing. She even made a show of being a bit scared, something that made the boy very proud. Francine was also very nice, although a bit inappropriate. She kept making little comments about Rachel and Quinn as if Rachel and Quinn were RachelandQuinn, not Rachel _and_ Quinn, which was a bit unsettling for her – since she would get quite embarrassed – but also made her get hopeful. She was acting as if they were a couple and she was Quinn's sister so that must mean something – at least that's what Rachel settled on her mind.

When the meal was over, Jamie asked her to stay for a little while longer to watch cartoons with him and there was no way she could say no to his big brown eyes. They reminded her too much of Quinn's even though they were a very different color. It held the same shine to it. And Rachel started loving the boy for it in that exact moment.

Rachel had left Jamie to watch some of the cartoons for himself after a while, deciding to go to the kitchen to see if the blonde's needed any help since they were taking a long while to do the dishes. As she was about to enter the kitchen, she heard Fran say something that made her stop.

"She's very cute, you know? I'm glad you've her in your life again. I didn't know her before but… but she's as great as you described it."

"You think so too?"

"Of course… Quinn, she's great. I can see why you feel that way for her after this long. She's a sweetheart. And she's smart… she's… what you were looking for in Jennifer."

"Don't say that… I loved Jennifer for who she was." That comment stung a bit but Rachel couldn't stop listening. And what she heart next, made her heart burst in happiness. "I never looked for Rachel in her. I actually looked for the opposite of Rachel because… if I couldn't have her, why would I settle for a mediocre copy of her? No way. It was either Rachel or someone that didn't remind me of her. And you may say that yeah, they are both brunette with big deep brown eyes… but… but in their core, they are completely different."

"So… if you didn't settle for less than Rachel Berry, well, kind of… does this mean you're gonna try to date her again?"

" I… I don't know, Fran… I mean… Honestly? I want to but… but I don't know if I can." No, no! You can! You can! Rachel was practically screaming inside her mind at the blonde. She couldn't stop listening in now even if she tried.

"Why are you so scared, Quinn?"

"She hurt me once deeply… but it was worth it. I'd get hurt like that again just so I could have that kind of love once more… but I don't think she wants me to. She's… She has some issues that she has yet to tell me about and… and I just don't think she sees me like that anymore… I mean… she did made it clear that day that she didn't love me so… why would she love me now? I'm okay with just being her friend."

"No… You're not. But I'm not gonna meddle in this. It's your life. You're old enough to know what you're doing… and if you think you can handle being her friend… I'll be supportive… Oh, and hey, don't think I didn't see how much you swooned over her being so sweet with Jamie… but that's all I'm saying. Nothing more. Your choice."

Rachel walked back to the living room a bit stunned. It would have to be her decision now. She would have to make the move. She smiled when Jamie started explaining to her what she had missed of the episode and stayed there with him till both blondes came back from the kitchen and stood.

"It was really lovely. The breakfast. I loved it… but I must get going. There are some papers I need to grade for Monday and I would like to still be able to sleep." Rachel smiled and leaned down, kissing Jamie's head goodbye. She walked closer and shook Fran's hand before motioning for Quinn to follow her outside.

"It's a shame you have to leave so soon. You could come with us tomorrow to a tour around the city." Quinn said with a smile and Rachel shook her head. "No? Are you busy?"

"Well, I'm hoping I will be." Rachel said softly and took a deep breath. "I'm hoping I'll be busy planning a date… with you. If you let me… take you out, I mean. I… Would you like to go out with me? Tomorrow night? On a date? A romantic date?"

~End of Chapter 6~


	7. Author's Note

Hello, everyone.

No. This isn't an update. And I truly apologize for that. But I've been getting a few PMs for the past few months and I now finally feel well enough to write to you.

A while back I was in an accident and, even though I'm much better, I have a bit of trouble with my back at times. And back in December, I sort of twisted it in a way that made it really hard for me to stand, sit, walk. Basically do any normal thing. That's why it was so hard for me to sit and update my stories. I can't apologize enough for making you wait this long.

After doing some physical therapy for the past few months, I'm finally well enough to go back to writing so I should be updating both my stories in the next couple of weeks. Please be patient and stay with me. I won't disappoint (much).

Thanks for understanding!

See you all soon.


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